Dr Watson and the Mad

flashback

"She is looking for you, you know." Alex said.
" Who ? " Howard ask in an confused voice. His head was in somewhere else.
"Karen." Alex said like it was something obvious.
"Do you think that I'd talk to her after that fiasco she made last time front of everybody."
Howard said angrily. She was the last thing he wanted to think about right now.
Alex took the guitar and made himself comfortable in the couch and started to play some nice melody.

"You didn't care about her fiascos before."

"Well I have had enough of that bullshit."
Howard said. It was obvious that he was bored of this conversation. So Alex changed the subject.
"Few songs left body. I'm really exited about this one it will be a bomb to our career. A producer wanted to talk to me yesterday, he heard the our songs when we were recording. I think this might be a good sign."

"Yeah" Howard said while holding a pen but couldn't think of nothing to write a song about.

"You went to see the cover of the album a few days ago right ? How was it ?" Alex asked.

" It was ... yeah , it was cool." Howard said. He remembered that day and deep inside he wanted to talk to her again. Ask how she was doing. But was she really okay. Her white face appeared in his mind so did her cold touch.

———————

A car stopped front of a familiar house. Howard wanted to call her first but he didn't have her number. So he decided to come instead.

He nervously walked to the door. And it nearly took him fifteen minutes to walk that small distance between his car and the door. He finally knocked the door. Few moments later the door opened. Arawell stood front him. It was like yesterday to him when he brought her home from hospital.

" Hi "he said.

" Isn't that Howard Green himself. " she said in a playful tone.

"Can I come in ?" He hesitated.

" Of course you can. You are the only creature on this earth that I have pleasure to talk."
She made space for him to get in. She was like first time he saw her, playful and in a good mood. How could her mood change so fast, he thought.

Her home was small but incredibly rare designed. Lots of paintings on the wall and rare statues and snow flakes.
She lead him to the living room. There was big black couch in the middle of the room and an armchair by the window. Windows were so big that someone who was outside could see whole room by looking.

" Your house looks like you, mysterious and interesting " he said while admiring number of books all around the room.

"Go ahead sit" she pointed at the black couch "I've got news for you but first tell me , did your doctor sent you here ?"
She said and sat next to him but left space between them.

"What ? Of course not. Why ?" Howard was very confused. Why on earth his visit could do anything with Jan at all.

"Okay then you don't know. Hmm I will start from the beginning.
Your doctor searched my medical history and hardly found my doctor in my hometown. He called him and asked if I'm a drug user , because there was so much alcohol in my system that there could be drug as well. So my doctor told him that I do not use drug and my medical information is a private file that he can't tell anything about it anymore than that. So my doctor called my mom and told her that I was in a deadly situation in here so my mom flew here from Brooklyn to see me. I hardly convinced her that i'm doing fine and it was nothing. I showed her my medicines and convinced her that I'm okay. So she flew back , how usual of her because she had a meeting at work next day." She said and took a deep breath after that long speech.
Howard was so shocked that he didn't move at all. He was looking at her like she told him a terrible joke.
"I- It is nothing to do with me. I swear I didn't know. I-"

"Hey Hey , it's okay. I know. I know it wasn't you." She said seriously.

It took him a few moment to sink everything in.
"Why would he do that ? I don't understand..."
" I think he did that because he didn't want you to hang out with wrong people."
Arawell said honestly with a small smile on her face. When she realized that it effected him more than she thought it would she changed the subject.
"Other news is that I finished the cover for your album. But I can't show you now. I want it to be surprise."
"Okay" he said in a thoughtful way.

"It is really not a big deal Harold, no harm done. Just forget about it alright."

He didn't say anything. He looked so guilty that Arawell couldn't stand for it anymore . She held his hand to have his attention. He immediately looked at her.
" It's okay" she whispered. "I'm glad you are here" There was an uncomfortable silence in the air.

"Hospitals never did anything good to me anyway. They are just wounding the wounded."

She stood up and got out of the room. Howard was still thinking about that unpleasant news. He was feeling guilty about it. But there was something in his mind. Why she had a private medical file ? But he couldn't ask her that now after what he did. But maybe he will talk with Jan later.

Arawell returned with a bottle of wine in her hand. She was smiling , she almost looked happy.
Howard liked it when she smiled. He didn't knew but he was falling for every word and move of her.

"Would you drink wine with me sir ? I swear there is no drug in it." She said with a wide smile on her face. She got a smile back from Howard as an answer.
She put the wine and glasses on the table front of them. And with a serious face she was trying to open the wine.

"Today -" she said while pouring the wine into glasses " - i feel like James Ryan from 'Saving Private Ryan' "

" Why ? " Howard asked. He was watching the movement of her hands.

"Because I feel like I have lost everything and ready to die for the thing that I believe and suddenly Captain Miller appears to save me and telling me to 'earn this' and messes my mind in every way."

"Did he saved you ?" Howard asked.

When she finished, she sat next to him but with a lesser space she left between them.
She hand him the glass.

" I don't know yet, story just started."